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Riyadh Skyline. Photo by B.alotaby.

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Riyadh is the capital of Riyadh Province, the center of Riyadh Governorate and the largest and most populous city in Saudi Arabia with a population of 7.54 million people  as at 2022.

Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia and was formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah. The city receives 5 million visitors per year making it the forty-ninth most visited city in the world.

Riyadh is the political and administrative center of Saudi Arabia as the Consultative Assembly, the Council of Ministers, the King and the Supreme Judicial Council of Saudi Arabia are all domiciled in Riyadh.

Riyadh has been designated as a global city and holds great economic significance, as it hosts the headquarters of many banks, major companies and over 112 foreign embassies.

 King Abdullah Financial District, one of the world’s largest financial districts, the Faisaliyah Center and the Kingdom Center are all located in Riyadh.

The top 10 remarkable facts about Riyadh, Saudi Arabia include the following.

1. Riyadh Is the Capital City of Saudi Arabia

Riyadh. Photo by Ahmed.

Riyadh is the largest city on the Arabian Peninsula and the capital city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world and is a peninsula in Western Asia.

Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia are the countries which constitute the Arabian Peninsula.

Riyadh is the center of Riyadh Governorate and the capital of Riyadh Province.

2. The Population of Riyadh Is Diverse

The city of Riyadh as at April 2022 was home to one sixth of the population of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at about 7.54 million.

Experts have pointed out that about 40% of the population is made up of non-Saudis while Saudis make up 60% of the city’s population.

The two biggest groups of non-Saudis living in Riyadh are Indians at 13.7% and Pakistanis at 12.4%.

3. The Tallest Skyscraper with A Hole in It Is Located in Riyadh

The Kingdom Center. Photo by B.alotaby.

The Kingdom Centre, a 41-storey building that soars 302.3 meters or 991.79 feet above the city’s skyline is located in Riyadh.

It was the tallest building in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia when it was opened in 2002. However, it is currently the fifth tallest skyscraper in the country as other buildings have come up in recent years.

The Kingdom Centre is the world’s third-tallest building after the Shanghai World Financial Center and the 85 Sky Tower in Taiwan with a hole in it.

4. King Saud University in Riyadh Is the Oldest University in The Country

King Saud University. Photo by Qrmoo3.

The Riyadh University which now goes by the name of King Saud University was founded in 1957 by King Saud bin Abdulaziz.

The university which is home to some impressive buildings, for instance, the King Salman Central library, is the oldest university in Saudi Arabia.

The King Salman Central library is a seven-floor building with more than 4,000 seats and has  a vast collection of books, periodicals, manuscripts and government publications.

The library also has a vast collection of academic theses, and dissertations, press clippings, audio-visual and electronic media.

5. Riyadh is The Money Capital of The Middle East

Riyadh is classified as a global city and carries the nickname of the money capital of the Middle East as it plays an important role in the economic system of the world.

Riyadh is the city with the largest population and the region’s fourth-most global city of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

There are around 110 embassies, consulates and headquarters of several international and regional organizations including the Gulf Cooperation Council located in Riyadh.

6. Riyadh Was Settled Many Centuries Ago

As early as the third century AD, Banu Hanifa settled in the area of the present-day Riyadh and gave it the name of Hajr in the then province of Al Yamaah.  Until 1823, Riyadh was not the capital city of the country.

Until vast oil reserves were discovered in 1938 near the Persian Gulf, the kingdom was at first a poor desert state. Saudi Arabia become a very wealthy country since then. The country was the largest oil exporter in the world by 1976.

7. Riyadh Is Home to the Masmak Fort Built in the 1800s

Masmak Fort. Photo by Francisco Anzola. W

The Masmak Fort in ad-Dirah, a district in southern Riyadh is a clay and mudbrick fort.  The fort was constructed for prince Abdurrahman ibn Sulaiman AlDabaan at the order of the Emirate of Jabal Shammar.

The fort stands as a proud reminder of the the storied history of Saudi Arabia. King Abdulaziz captured the fortress and took control of Riyadh, which was his ancestral home in 1902, after living in exile in Kuwait.

The restored building today is a museum that houses wonderful exhibitions and artefacts dating from 1912 to 1937  such as maps and photographs of Saudi Arabia.

8. Riyadh Is Home to The Ain Heet Cave

Situated at the face of Mount Al Jubayl in Wadi As Sulay in a small village called Heet in Riyadh, the Ain Heet cave has an underground lake estimated to be 150 meters deep.

The lake is located at the interior chambers of the cave system.

The cave is one of the easily accessible caves in the area of Riyadh located between Riyadh and Al Kharj road. The cave which is absolutely stunning is located about 40 kilometers from the Riyadh City Center.

9. The Al Rajhi Grand Mosque Is Located in Riyadh

One of the well-recognized landmarks of Riyadh is the Al Rajhi Grand Mosque.  The mosque serves not just as a place of worship for Muslims, but also as a meeting place for the community for social events .

Considered as an architectural marvel and one of the most significant Islamic institutions in the city, the Al Rajhi Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in Riyadh.

Only those who are of the Muslim faith are permitted to the Al Rajhi Grand Mosque.

The Al Rajhi Grand Mosque  which is very beautiful and very picturesque holds two libraries, forensic science courses, an automated utilities system and an 18,000-person capacity men’s hall among others.

10. Visitors Can Tour the Edge of the World Site in Riyadh

One of Saudi Arabia’s most popular tourist destinations is Jebel Fihrayn, also known as the Edge of the World.

Atop its 300-meter-high cliffs, the Edge of the World promises uninterrupted view of the horizon overlooking the surrounding plain.  It is a stunning spot even though it’s a bit terrifying for many tourists.